President Trump is calling Republican and Democrat leaders from the House and Senate to discuss funding for the border wall so as to reach a deal over the government shutdown.
the meeting is an informational session on border security, the main issue which created the shutdown; the White House schedule said only that Trump will participate "in a border security briefing for congressional leadership" to be held in the Situation Room.
the partial shutdown has forced hundreds of thousands of federal workers to stay home or work without pay and has closed some federal services and tourist sites.
In a Wednesday tweet, Trump claimed, without evidence, that Mexico "is paying for the Wall" through a new trade deal. Citing his budget demand, Trump said that $5.6 billion in wall funding endorsed by the outgoing Republican House "is very little in comparison to the benefits of National Security. Quick payback!"
The president and the White House have previously made this claim, but have not offered details on how this works.
With Congress set to return on Thursday, House Democrats are preparing their own plan to re-open the government. It includes a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees construction of the wall, at current levels through Feb. 8, with $1.3 billion for border security—a figure far less than Trump requested.
Trump's choice of the meeting place suggests that it would possibly be broadcasted live on tv like the one held last month before the government's shutdown.
